Prime Tanning to reopen plant
Just weeks after Prime Tanning announced the closure of two plants (Leatherbiz.com: "Prime Tanning to close Rochester and Berwick facilities, September 3), the US company has said it will reopen its facility in Berwick to handle increased demand for military footwear.
According to the president of Prime Tanning, Ken Purdy, the US campaign against terrorism means that demand for military footwear could double over the next year. He also added that since September 11, Americans are more interested in buying home-produced goods, giving a further boost to the company.
The Berwick facility is to be reopened on a smaller scale as a tannery with a specific focus on military leather. Mr Purdy admitted that there are no contracts yet from the department of defence, but pointed out that only one other company in the country is certified to produce military leather. T
he company expects to have 150 people working at the Berwick plant by the New Year.Prime Tanning is a family owned business that began manufacturing leather in Massachusetts more than 90 years ago. The company moved to Berwick in the 1930s and is now one of the last three major leather manufacturers in the area. The news that Prime would reopen the plant was very warmly received by local people in Berwick, where rumours had been circulating for days before the announcement.
